The Glenelg High School Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Barry Enzman, will hold its 15th annual Jazz Under the Stars picnic dinner and concert at Chapel View Farm in Woodbine on Saturday, May 24, beginning at 5 p.m.

Bring your lawn chair or blanket and enjoy a fun evening of great food and outstanding entertainment. Blues saxophonist, pianist and singer Deanna Bogart will be the special guest artist this year.

Tickets for adults will cost $30, $17 for children under 12 and free for children under 5. Tickets include dinner and the concert, and must be purchased from a band member or through the website http://www.glenelgbands.com before Wednesday, May 21. No tickets will be sold at the door.

All proceeds benefit the Glenelg Marching Unit. In the event of rain, Jazz Under the Stars will move to the main exhibition hall at the Howard County Fairgrounds and continue as planned.

There is a wonderful opportunity for you to promote your business by becoming a sponsor of Jazz Under the Stars. Sponsorships range from $100 to $1,000 and include tickets to the event and a CD of the Glenelg Jazz Ensemble, as well as promotional advertising for your business. Contact Bob Vechery at 301-405-5040 for more information about a sponsorship opportunity.

The faculty, families and students of our neighborhood schools have many reasons to be proud. Students at Dayton Oaks Elementary School, Folly Quarter Middle School and Glenwood Middle School have raised lots of money for national and local charities, while the students have experienced the feeling of pride that comes from helping others.

Dayton Oaks is excited to announce that it raised almost $3,800 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, with their Pennies for Patients fundraiser.

Neighbor Network and the Folly Quarter Middle School Leo Club sponsored the indoor yard and bake sale at Folly Quarter in March. Together they raised $1,800, which will be donated to a local charity. In addition, people recommended by local agencies serving families in need were able to shop for free at the donation tables. Many people benefited from this yard sale, and many others had fun buying and selling treasures.

Glenwood Middle School announced that it raised over $11,000 from Midnight Madness, the most money ever raised in the twenty year history of Glenwood's Midnight Madness. The money will be donated to typhoon relief efforts in the Philippines, the Glenelg United Methodist Church food pantry, Sam Forman's Relay for Life team, and four $1,000 scholarships for graduating Glenelg High School seniors.

Congratulations to the Folly Quarter Middle School Symphony Strings, which received the highest scores possible at the Middle School Orchestra Assessment in April. The group was outstanding. Judges commented that they "set a new bar for excellence" and were "simply the best."

Student artists from all the local schools will have artwork in the 42nd annual Spring Student Exhibition at the Mall in Columbia starting Tuesday, April 22 and running through Sunday, May 4. The work will be on display throughout the Mall, arranged in alphabetical order by school name, and grouped by elementary, middle and high schools. This is a great opportunity to see works of art by our talented young neighbors.

Womenfest will be held on Saturday, April 26, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Gary J. Arthur Community Center at Glenwood. This health and wellness event, presented by the Howard County Department of Citizen Services' Office on Aging, is free to the public. The show will feature over 90 exhibitors, free health screenings and seminars. For more information, call 410-313-5440 or http://www.howardcountyaging.org/womenfest